Traditional school day 'a thing of the past'

The traditional school day is being axed as thousands of children choose to start early and leave late, according to new research.

A quarter of secondary schools in England now run longer days, despite fears they erode family life.

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust - a Government-backed charity - said a more flexible school day suited children who needed more help in classes and those with working parents.

According to a study, one school now allows children to choose between two "shifts", 7.30am to 1pm or 8.20am until 2.30pm. Badly-behaved pupils and habitual truants at Bridgemary Community Sports College, Hampshire, are allowed to work from 12.05pm until 3.30pm.

Under Government reforms, so-called extended schools open for up to 10 hours, providing "wraparound" childcare to help mothers return to full-time jobs.

A study - released to coincide with the SSAT annual conference in Birmingham this week - revealed 24 per cent of secondary schools in England now had longer days and a further quarter hosted Saturday classes.

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Headteachers warned this year that parents were "abdicating their responsibility" by leaving children in school for hours at a time.

Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "They dump them early in the morning at school and are late picking them at the end of the day. There is definitely a lack of care."

But Elizabeth Reid, chief executive of the SSAT, which surveyed 400 heads as part of the latest study, said schools were simply reacting to demand.

"There is a quiet revolution going on in our schools," she said. "Their work is going a long way to help many more young people fulfil their potential.

"Extended school days and Saturday classes are excellent examples of how they are doing this. They create more flexibility within the curriculum, helping teachers to engage students, and encourage greater engagement with the community through a wider use of school buildings."

In a further departure from traditional classroom structures, 37 per cent of schools said they now grouped pupils by "stage not age". This involves mixing lessons by ability - rather than the year of birth - allowing high-flyers to advance at their own pace while slower pupils can take lessons with younger children.

Meanwhile, a separate survey revealed millions of parents are now too busy to help their children with their homework.

A report by YoungPoll, a market research firm, said half of secondary school pupils got little or no support from parents.